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Friday, December 2, 2011

J.R.R. Tolkien on Conversion

Tolkien's mother, Mabel, converted to Catholicism despite
serious opposition from her family. She was eventually cut-off financially when she
refused to abandon her new faith. The lack of financial support was a serious
consequence as she relied on her family's assistance after her husband died working in South Africa leaving her alone to raise their two young boys. Yet, she valued her Catholic
faith above all else and was determined to raise her children in the Catholic Church, which she did.

Years later, when Tolkien was a young man at Oxford and was
ready to marry, his future wife, Edith, was still a very active member of the
Church of England. Tolkien insisted that she become Catholic before they marry.
Edith was willing and believed it the right thing, but wanted to delay her
conversion until just prior to the wedding to avoid the backlash of her family.
Tolkien, would not have it. He stated that the Church of England was "a
pathetic and shadowy medley of half-remembered traditions and mutilated
beliefs" and if Edith were persecuted for becoming Catholic, why then,
that was precisely what happened to his own dear mother, and she had endured
it. He went on to say, "I do so dearly believe, that no half-heartedness
and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light
unflinchingly." Edith agreed and was met with the same level of opposition
from her family as Tolkien's mother had suffered through.

J.R.R. Tolkien is best remembered for his fiction, but the
most important thing to him was truth.

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About this blog

This blog was designed to be a simple navigational tool for Catholics and non-Catholics interested in learning more about the Catholic faith based on my own personal experiences sorting through the incredible amount of information (and misinformation) available.